This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for the orthopedic and/or orthodontic treatment of a patient's temporomandibular joints, mandible, maxilla and the teeth carried thereby and of the patient's muscles of mastication, ligaments and skeletal features constituting the masticatory system in which the proper positions of the mandible and temporomandibular joints are estabilished with respect to the maxilla and in which the teeth are, over an extended period of time, moved to their desired locations utilizing the proper position of the mandible, maxilla, and temporomandibular joints as a reference so that after treatment, not only are the teeth properly positioned, but the position of the mandible, maxilla and temporomandibular joints are properly orthopedically established and stabilized.
Oftentimes in orthodontic treatment, the patient's teeth are moved relative to one another so as to correct many different problems. Some of these problems may include overbite, overject, protruded or intruded teeth, rotated teeth, missing teeth, teeth that are maloccluded or that have not properly erupted, and teeth which are angularly displaced because insufficient room is available in the patient's jaw. Generally, after orthodontic treatment, it is desirable that the patient's teeth be cosmetically or aesthetically aligned.
However, in actual practice, it has been found that many times after extensive conventional orthodontic treatment, patients sometimes have aesthetically aligned teeth, but the proper anatomical relationship of the mandible, maxilla, temporomandibular joints, muscles of mastication, ligaments and skeletal elements constituting the masticatory system is not properly established. Without this proper anatomical relationship properly established and stabilized, many well-known problems, including malocclusion, difficulty in chewing, severe headaches, neck aches, backaches, ear problems (tinnitis), jaw pain, and facial pain can be traced to the improper anatomical positioning of the mandible, maxilla, muscles of mastication and temporomandibular joints. In severe cases, this can result in certain forms of degenerative arthritis of the temporomandibular joint, and can lead to and be associated with improper positioning of the tongue and loss of oral muscle strength resulting in deviate swallowing.
In general, the correction of a patient's deviate swallow is referred to as myofunctional therapy. More particularly, myofunctional therapy relates to the selective training, positioning, and strengthening of specific muscles or groups of muscles used in speech, mastication, deglutition and swallowing, particularly to the selective training of the tongue.
In general, the prior art orthodontic treatment methods and appliances teach the concept of attaching various bands, brackets, and other appliances to the teeth or to the patient's head and applying corrective orthodontic forces to selected teeth such that these selected teeth are moved within the patient's jaw thus straightening the teeth or providing room for other teeth thus establishing a desired relationship between all of the teeth in the person's mouth. However, as mentioned, oftentimes these prior art orthodontic appliances and methods did not utilize the desired position of the mandible, maxilla, muscles of mastication, and temporomandibular joints as a reference point. Additionally, many prior art appliances were cumbersome and could not readily be removed or adjusted either by the dentist, orthodontist or by the patient.
Still further, prior art orthodontic treatment methods and appliances did not, for the most part, incorporate a simultaneous orthopedic treatment which not only resulted in the desired orthodontic results, but also resulted in orthopedic stabilization of the mandible, maxilla, muscles of mastication, and the tempomandibular joints. Likewise, the prior art orthodontic treatments did not address myofunctional swallowing impairments oftentimes associated with the above-described orthodontic and orthopedic problems.
Thus, there has been a longstanding need for a method of combined orthopedic and orthodontic treatment and apparatus for carrying out the method in which the proper relationship of the mandible, maxilla, muscles of mastication and the temporomandibular joints are utilized as a reference during the entire course of orthodontic treatment such that the teeth may be orthodontically moved to their desired positions with respect to the proper or normal anatomical positions of the mandible, maxilla, muscles of mastication and the temporomandibular joints, and in which swallowing myofunctional therapy could be simultaneously given to the patient.
Reference may be made to such U.S. patents as U.S. Pat. Nos. 618,105, 1,101,504, 1,207,566, 1,429,749, 1,773,588, 2,479,780, 3,327,580, 3,478,742, 3,925,894 and 4,202,328 which describe prior art orthodontic treatments and apparatus in the same general field as the present invention.